The Cat’s Miaow, 2016
Beer brewing equipment, wooden structure and acrylic paint, dimensions variable.

Two Jumper Cables Walk into a Barn

Faced with the prospect of participating in each and every forthcoming presentation of the Bie Biennale the yogurt carton turned to the second cannibal and said to him, “Why not? We’re cultured individuals.” A dog orders a martini, “I’m not surprised at these prices”, and the first thought that came to my mind was, “You read my mind, buddy.” “I need a beer to ponder on this”. “Sure” the bartender says, “But why the big paws?” It was tense. Comic Sans, Helvetica, and Times New Roman walk in, “Where is the nearest bar?”…. “There isn’t one? Really!!!?” I looked over the barn, “You guys better not start anything in here.” Dave Allen, June 2016

For the Bie Biennale Allen proposed brewing a special beer named “The Cat’s Miaow”. The idea was apparently based on a curious bottle label the artist came across while making a visit to the exhibition organisers’s home. BIE ANANAS (BIE PINEAPPLE), the label proclaimed below an illustration of a grand fountain topped by a toga’d Poseidon character and his trident. Aside Poseidon were two magnificent water spouting fishlike creatures but below him, sitting in what may be a cereal bowl, was a cheeky cat holding its paws aloft. The label goes on to tell us that the contents of the bottle for which the label was intended were prepared with highly radioactive health water and produced at Bie Health Spa’s Mineral-water Plant. There is unfortunately no date.
Allen intended to marry the mysterious label to a bottle with contents of his making – a beveridge with less of an unhealthy edge than highly radioactive water but still retaining a bit of a kick – a beer brewed in the barn from the fine water of Bie.